The Seminole State College Educational Foundation will host its 26th Annual Spring Banquet on Thursday, April 29, at the Enoch Kelly Haney Center on campus. The event will be livestreamed on the SSC Facebook page.
Last year’s event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the event is returning later this month, the banquet will look much different than any year prior. In an effort to safeguard the well-being of attendees, the crowd will be limited to family and friends of this year’s four Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees: Heather Annis, Brooke Case, Holly Hanan and Will Hunt, as well as Distinguished Service Award recipient Dr. Jim Cook. Campus organization leaders, outstanding students, retirees and employees reaching milestone years of employment with the College will be honored at a separate event on campus April 20.
SSC Alumni Hall of Fame honorees are selected for their achievements while attending the college and contributions they have made in their professional careers. Nominations are accepted each year from faculty, staff, members of the SSC Educational Foundation and the public for induction.
Annis graduated from SSC in 1993. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of Oklahoma and her Master of Science in Human Resources Counseling at East Central University. She is the co-owner of The Center for Christian Counseling and Care, PLLC. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and offers help to individuals, couples and families for various mental health issues. She is a member of the American Counseling Association, the Oklahoma Counseling Association, the Oklahoma Mental Health Association and a member of the Church of Christ at Little.
Case completed her associate’s degree at SSC in 2004. While at SSC, she played for the Belles basketball team and was a member of the President’s Leadership Class. She received her Bachelor of Science in Marketing with a minor in Management from Oklahoma State University in 2006. She is the co-owner of the Kinslow Group, where she is a third generation Sonic Franchisee. She oversees the operations of 65 Sonic locations in Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi and Kansas. One of her main responsibilities is directing Human Resources for more than 2,500 employees. Along with her brother, Matt Kinslow, Case has been instrumental in doubling the size of the company in the past 15 years. She serves on the SSC Educational Foundation Board, was selected to serve on the Sonic Franchisee Advisory Council, and previously served on the Prague Main Street Board. She is a member of the Prague First Baptist Church.
Hanan graduated from SSC in 1990. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Vocational Home Economics at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in 1993 and her Master of Science in Secondary Administration from East Central University in 2009. She is currently the Family and Consumer Sciences State Program Manager at the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. She provides administrative support and statewide leadership to the Family and Consumer Sciences program in K-12 schools and technology centers. She also manages the CareerTech FCS teacher resources website. She serves as an advisor for the Oklahoma Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and on the Oklahoma FCCLA Alumni and Associates Board. She is a member of the Church of Christ at Little.
Hunt graduated from SSC in 1991. He went on to complete a Bachelor of Science at Louisiana State University in 1994 and his Master of Science at East Central University in 2001. He also completed his EMT-Paramedic training at OSU-OKC in 2008. He is currently a major in the Oklahoma City Fire Department. He is the chief ride-out officer, station officer, a paramedic and a hazmat technician. Prior to serving as a firefighter, Hunt served as the Athletic Director and Head Baseball Coach for Asher Public Schools, leading Asher to a state championship in 1998. He also was a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers from 1993-1995. While at LSU, he was named Pitcher of the Year and made the SEC All-Tournament Team in 1993. He was the co-captain of LSU’s College World Series Championship team in 1993. He has been a member of the International Association of Fire Fighters since 2003. This year’s Distinguished Service Award recipient Dr. Jim Cook served as SSC’s President from 1987-96. He also was the Vice President for Curriculum and Instruction from 1984-1987 and the Vice President for Student Affairs from 1982-1984. Dr. Cook received his Bachelor of Arts in History at Northeastern State University, his Master of Arts in American History at Southwest Texas University and his Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Texas Tech University. Following his time at SSC, he went on to hold the position of Executive Vice President at Rose State College and then served as Rose State’s President from 2000-2006. In 2017, Dr. Cook was inducted into the Oklahoma Association of Community Colleges Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in 2010. The Seminole Chamber of Commerce named him the Citizen of the Year in 1989. He is currently a board member for the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum, as well as board member for the Rose State College Educational Foundation.
The SSC Educational Foundation faced several fundraising challenges throughout the pandemic. Despite these challenges, the Foundation helped provide face coverings for each student at SSC, lawn chairs for campus residents to encourage safe, outdoor socializing, assessment software, and more than $100,000 in scholarships for students. Sponsorships are available for this year’s event. For more information, contact the SSC President’s Office at 405-382-9260.